Feigned Ecstasy
by redautumnhaze
Summary: Katara is hired to coach a soon-to-be princess in a certain art, and stumbles into a snare that isn't easy to escape. Maitara. No War AU.
1. Chapter 1

Katara has never said much to Mai.

They don't exactly have anything in common. Mai is this sullen girl who drifted around the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Katara is a passionate, quite successful entrepreneur. Mai is a fan of hunting small animals. Katara is a waterbender who doesn't mind a competition but couldn't hurt a spider-fly.

Mai is an important political figure. Katara is a dealer of political secrets she learns from her craft. People pay nearly as much for information as they do for sex with nigh perfect women.

She has never said much to Mai until today. Katara is in the palace courtyard having a rather private conversation with one of the Fire Lord's advisors that most consists of flirting her way into a much higher price than most people would negotiate.

It is two weeks before the royal wedding of Mai and Prince Ozai and Katara is preparing for the influx of all the most interesting people the world has to offer. And probably being paid quite handsomely to be someone's date, which is usually pretty fun, she has to admit.

Katara grew up on a block of ice with her brother. The city she lived in couldn't pass much for a city. The North Pole's traditions were deplorably sexist, so Katara never paid them any mind as an option. She said _I want to change the world_ and everyone in her tribe told her she couldn't do it.

So she followed Sokka on his journey to the nearby Fire Nation port and went from there to up at the very top of society. Although. . . she would not quite call it _polite_ society.

She rises and winds up having her arm seized by her friend from the Earth Kingdom, an older woman.

The minute Katara opens her mouth to greet her, she is interrupted by someone she is not allowed to ignore.

"I need to talk to you." Mai glances blankly at the two women trying to speak to her. Katara does not quite think that Mai was listening to them. "Privately."

Katara obliges.

* * *

They linger under an ugly tree.

Katara has stopped trying to make awkward small talk, because this girl does not respond so favorably. Then again, Mai does not seem to enjoy much.

"You're smart," Mai says, and it does not sound much like a compliment. "Meet me in my room tonight after sunset. The guards will let you in."

There is not much in her comment for Katara to go on. The lack of emotion and lack of details just prompt Katara to cock an eyebrow and then shrug. She is not denying this girl. She could want a few things that Katara doesn't care to guess about. The courtesan simply decides it is worth doing.

"Okay," Katara says. It's not her most articulate, but this is a strange situation.

* * *

That night, Katara does make it past the guards without a word. There are too many of them to protect one person who's yet to be a princess, but Katara does not have the desire to argue with the Fire Lord or his son – at least not to their faces.

Katara, as usual, is dressed in blue among a sea of red. She is adept at the Fire Nation now, from their language to their mannerisms, but she refuses to forget her homeland and her love for the Water Tribe. Katara did want to leave her home, but she never wants to abandon it. Her clothes tend to draw a certain level attention, but the hallways are empty and shadowy.

They seem like living quarters meant for more than one person, but Katara has had a long day and two cups of tea that mak her slightly jittery.

When she pushes open Mai's door, she walks in on the future royal halfway through untying her hair. Katara briefly wonders if she is supposed to see this, but she decides that she does not care.

"You asked for me to meet you," Katara says while shutting the door behind her.

"I know that I did," Mai says dryly. Katara manages to not show her confusion on her face. "I want to ask you for something, because you seem to be the best at it."

Katara does not think that Mai is talking about waterbending.

"You're marrying Fire Lord Azulon's son, I'm not—"

"That's exactly the point," she says, cutting Katara off with utter disregard for manners.

Mai really is pale in this light, Katara notes.

"I don't get the point," Katara says bluntly. She didn't take Mai for the type to be _cryptic_. Maybe _smile-free_ but not _cryptic_.

"I don't want to have to explain this. I literally don't think there are words for it," Mai says.

Katara bites her lip, because she actually doesn't know. Then it occurs to her, then she thinks that this might be a lot more work than she signed up for.

Those pretty noble girls all do want the same thing.

Mai just seemed. . . not very much like others in her status and position.

More like she might be more experienced than she was pretending to be.

Then again, she doesn't have the most attractive personality, even with good looks.

"Oh. Well, this should be interesting." Katara thinks she is talking more to herself than Mai.

* * *

Katara finds herself wondering what Mai might know, what she might be hiding behind those unreadable amber eyes.

It's habit; she can't help it.

Mai hasn't left the embroidered red silk robe on her. She's obviously uncomfortable, which makes this more delicate of a situation. Yet, Katara has to admit she's a bit of an expert in making people better at having sex with those they're cheating on.

Most all of them could use all the help they can get.

"Do you want me to get undressed?" Katara asks and Mai just stares at her.

The silence is broken after an excruciating period of time.

"Yes. Obviously," Mai says and Katara bites her tongue.

She has some very honest things she would like to say to this girl, but she does have to reign herself in when she is stranded in the middle of the royal palace.

"So, you do know how to at least kiss a person, right?" Katara asks, because she has gotten some negative answers to that question before.

It's kind of fun to coach people; it's really all she _has_ to do anymore now that she's so renowned and has desperate girls go on from being taught to being talented.

"Yes. Obviously."

"Who?" Katara asks, because she does like secrets.

"Ask me that when we're done."

Katara laughs at that. Mai doesn't, but it was a joke. Well, Katara does like people who don't laugh at their own jokes, which she finds most powerful people do.

"Now, I'm not getting paid for this, and I think you really could use my services."

"You usually ask for favors by insulting people?" Mai shrugs carelessly. "I kissed Prince Zuko. Twice. He wasn't bad."

"He wasn't bad at kissing?" Katara smiles faintly. "Well, I don't recommend saying that on your wedding night. You grew up in the palace?"

"Yeah. My parents ditched me. Which wasn't really a surprise, to be honest. I think that perhaps part of the reason Zuko was shipped off to the Earth Kingdom was the fact that he didn't even flinch when kissing me twice. I'd be scared of him too. That's more than enough to pay my fee."

"I didn't. . ."

"Right, because I just tell that to everyone I meet. I wasn't anticipating you to do this for free."

"That's enough," Katara says as she steps out of her discarded clothes. "What level of experience do you want to fake?"

"Is there a scale you can offer me?" Mai asks and Katara clenches her jaw.

"Well, I don't want anyone to think you're a liar, but people also don't tend to have any idea how depressing sex with a virgin is. It's really overrated, I hear."

"You hear?" Mai asks slowly, as if Katara cannot comprehend Fire Nation.

"I am a girl, if you didn't notice," Katara retorts, starting to cross her arms before she remembers that this is a job worth doing well.

"Shut up. I want good enough for someone I presume has slept with half of the Fire Nation."

"I can do that." Katara shakes her head, because this is way more entertaining than she thought it would be. "This is going to be—"

"Ugh," Mai groans. "Don't act like I've never played boyfriend and girlfriend before. I'm not that pathetic."

"Was she good at it?"

"I had to be the boyfriend."

"Ah. Explains it." Katara doesn't laugh this time despite the humor of the situation as she invites herself onto the bed. "You're pretty enough to just lie there, but I imagine that's not what you want."

Katara wonders how ridiculous Mai will sound in comparison to her past students.

* * *

It takes time to unravel Mai from her stubborn refusal to cooperate, and a disproportionate amount of sexual effort. Katara wonders if she is being mocked, but holds herself together. She thinks this girl really might have been born without the ability to express. . . anything, much less moan and feign ecstasy.

"You can fake this. It's easier to scale it back than force it out of you." Katara says, freezing and kneeling between Mai's legs. "Have you literally never been happy in your life? You don't even have to be _that_ good. It's not like he doesn't know what he's getting into"

"I need an example. What makes you happy?" Mai asks and Katara glares at her.

"A lot of things. Like puppies and people who don't make me feel this exasperated."

"Treason is your main turn on, isn't it?"

Katara tweaks her nipple and Mai makes a small sound. So soft, so unintentional, that Katara realizes how truly difficult this will be. Her job never seemed easy, but now it looks nigh impossible.

"Give him _something_ ," Katara says in exasperation, shifting rather uncomfortably in her mock male position. "Touch him-me-whatever."

The waterbender manages not to sigh.

Mai does not know exactly what to do about that, but she runs her hand down Katara's smooth back and then towards her hand as she leans upward, takes Katara by the wrist, and sets her palm on her breast.

Unimpressive, Katara has to admit, but the most progress made today. Katara can work with that, so she feels her up. The courtesan is not awkward but the soon to be empress absolutely is. Her mother's destruction of Mai's ability to feel emotion is very evident the more Katara presses down and rubs and moves.

She intentionally is rough for a few moments here or there, against something as innocent as her waist or as sensitive as her breasts. It's a test, of sorts. Mai does manage to pass that, unsurprisingly.

Katara kisses Mai three times on the lips and suddenly feels her heart race. She drinks her in and then swallows; it is very bad to feel this good. Katara ignores it and prompts Mai to put her arms around the courtesan and dig her nails into her back.

Then, finally, Katara pretends to thrust and expected it to feel ridiculous but her body dragging against the mattress lights the fire of pleasure within her and brings the wetness of need.

Katara tenderly kisses Mai's neck then. She feels good and wishes that she did not. Mai is dangerous tonight and more dangerous tomorrow. This is suddenly not about Ozai anymore and that is _bad_. The glint in amber eyes and the sparkle in cobalt eyes is _bad_.

She kisses Mai again and Mai shivers from the tickle of it.

They are suddenly not pretending anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you guys so much for the support and encouragement for this story. I'm really excited. I want to inform that I've made Katara and Mai both eighteen, despite this taking place in the same time frame as the series. It's a very smutty story and it goes against my personal beliefs to write erotica about underage characters. Other than that, the only change to canon is that Sozin never started a war.**

* * *

Katara does not know what to say to Mai.

She has never said much to her, after all. Katara's jobs have never gone like this before and she should have a better protocol for handling it. No, no, that's not true. She strictly sleeps with people who are either very good at sex or very good at sharing secrets. It is probably a good thing to have gotten into that.

"You're quiet," Mai says and Katara snaps into focus.

"There's not a lot to be said. Did you learn anything?"

It's Mai's turn to be quiet.

"I think I might be a slow learner. I also think I have grown up in the palace and my best friend's favorite game is hiding and eavesdropping on people. I have a week before I'm married. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"I am going to be your princess."

"That doesn't frighten me. Only one royal intimidates me and that is the Fire Lord himself, because he can ruin my life's work if he wants. You are the lowest ranking royal in order of power, and I doubt you can overrule a man who likes to know what's going on behind his back."

"I don't think Azulon knows the half of what people say behind his back," Mai says quite confidently. Katara rises to collect her clothes, moving slowly in expectation of more. Mai seems not to continue for a moment, but then she says, "What if I were Fire Lady? Would I graduate on your list or do you in general think lowly of girls who marry into a crown?"

"That's a ridiculous question because—" Katara stops talking and doesn't care if she looks foolish. Mai just smirked. She is the least expressive person Katara has ever fucked and she just smirked. " _Maybe_ I'll see you tomorrow."

"I don't know why you think I care."

Katara cocks an eyebrow and finishes tying her dress on.

* * *

"What information would make me richest?" Katara repeats at her prying older brother. She likes seeing him – he's her only family left – but he's not the easiest guest to have. At least she can shut him up with the power of food, food that she is currently cooking. "I don't care about money."

"You get paid a lot," Sokka says through his oversized mug.

"I do. People like to know when other people are planning to assassinate them. What information would make me richest is information on where Avatar Aang's successor is. They were supposed to be in our tribe. It could've been you."

Sokka waves his hand. "I'm not into magic water."

"It's not magic," Katara snipes playfully.

He laughs. "You don't use it much if you moved here and started a business. You would've started some dojo or joined the Southern Water Tribe army if you wanted to use your bending."

"There wasn't a lot of demand for that," Katara says. She shoves the soup in front of him and sits down on the other side of the table. "Anyway, I wasn't going to change the world with my bending, as important to me as it is. I _can_ change the world with my head. We've discussed this."

"Not that deeply. I don't even know how I left for a year with my soldiers and came back to see you halfway to being _important_ and richer than anybody in our tribe."

"No, I don't think wherever the Avatar is would make me richest. I think what would make me richest is telling my own secrets. Which I never have and never will – I told you that I don't care about money."

"Girls have too many of those. I don't like secrets and I don't like the idea of somebody gossiping about mine. So, I don't keep any."

Sarcastically, Katara says, "Yeah. It's not annoying at all to always know what you're thinking." Katara laughs as he mockingly glares and then diverts his attention to his food.

Good. Katara doesn't like it when people want to know her secrets.

She has at least one that could be devastating for people to know.

That secret? The real reason that she left the Southern Water Tribe.

* * *

Far from Katara's manor, "I'm so glad to see you," Fire Lord Azulon says slowly as Mai sits down across from him.

In all her years here, she has never been alone with him. He never cared to ask; she didn't either.

Yet, she will be _real_ family soon. Mai grew up like another daughter – or granddaughter in this case – but there was always someone who would remind her that she might as well be a low-class orphan if the royal family weren't so kind.

When Zuko was sent away, Mai was pretty certain she would be thrown out.

So was Azulon, and it was his call.

His _real_ granddaughter, however, coerced him somehow. Mai doesn't know how that girl does it, but she isn't ever complaining about Azula's dishonesty.

Zuko was a traitor because of his mother. His cousin is currently dying of an incurable illness. Azulon called it perfect logic. All he had to do was change two words on the very old contract.

Mai knows Azula would never ask for the crown, despite wanting it so much, but she also knows Azula would do _anything_ to get what she wants.

But Mai doesn't know her strategy. She never has one. She never wants much either.

"I am honored to be invited," Mai says, as she should.

"Are you nervous about the wedding?" the Fire Lord inquires.

"Yes," Mai says.

He smirks at her. That seems to be a family trait.

"Of course you are. "I was nervous before my wedding. I'd wonder what you had planned for my son if you were excited," Fire Lord Azulon says and it feels _strange_ to Mai, but she doesn't care. He can behave as oddly as he pleases; he _is_ getting old.

"I just plan to use him to usurp you. Nothing that excites me," Mai says and Azulon laughs as the servants _finally_ bring food. And pour her wine. She doesn't drink, but she assumes it would be very rude to decline a drink from the man across from her.

Azulon says, "I don't know you very well. That's a good thing."

"Is it, your majesty?" Mai inquires. Maybe she _was_ born to do this, as Azula tries to remind her when she expresses any doubts about continuing down the road her parents paved for her when she was a baby.

"You keep out of trouble and you're not demanding or hazardous. I like that," he explains and Mai has to agree with his reasoning. "And you have lived with me for how long now? I'm getting old and no longer have the patience for numbers – I have treasurers to do that for me, thank Agni."

"Seventeen years, your majesty."

He looks concerned by that and Mai feels panic begin to rise in her chest. Then he says, "I'm getting older than I thought. That's a frightening figure, isn't it now?"

"You don't look a day over twenty, your majesty."

"You're not as unpleasant of company as I thought you would be. You don't ever smile and that isn't the most attractive of qualities. Yet, you can tell and take a joke. And end the your majesty once you wed. It's just wrong coming from family."

It sounds uncomfortable, so Mai sips her disgusting wine.

Why does no one put sugar in it like they do for tea?

* * *

That night, after everyone has gone to bed, Katara knocks softly on Mai's door.

Mai answers it, but not too hastily.

They both are pretending that they were pretending last night. Katara thinks it was a fluke, because she could only ever feel that from love and she barely knew Mai, much less loved her. Mai thinks nothing of it, just that a repeat does not sound so bad.

"So, maybe we should go up a level tonight," Katara suggests in a very professional manner. She acts as if this repeat is a common request, but it isn't.

"That sounds appropriate," Mai says dryly.

"You did start to sound at least mildly interested there near the end."

"You were doing things I don't anticipate there near the end."

"You of all people should know how boring playing the boyfriend is." Katara smiles and then feels business crash against her like a wave of ice cold water. "So, is it true about Azula and her little affair?"

"Affairs. Plural. I think I am the only girl she knows who she has not tried to sleep with."

"Do you want to sleep with her?"

"No. We've been best friends since we were babies. I can't find her sexy when I know her that well. If you're asking about the one that would displease her father very much to know about, then…"

"I'm asking about the one I hear she loves."

Mai looks at Katara like she is crazy. "Azula doesn't love anybody. If she could fuck her reflection she would never sleep with anyone else again. I think the girl you heard about it from overestimates Azula's affinity towards her."

"How rude of you to talk about your best friends like that," Katara teases.

"I thought you wanted honesty. Or would you prefer to be paid in lies? Is that like fake currency to you? I'm not sure how the whole information trade works."

"So, if Prince Lu Ten were to succumb to his illness – spirits willing he won't, of course – who would she marry? I know very well you got tossed between men of this family."

"I have no idea."

"You're lying."

"I'm not paying for this lesson in full before it happens."

"That's smart, I guess. Smarter than any men I've coerced."

"You're not coercing me. You're pretty open about your fees."

"I know," Katara says before making quick work of the ties on her navy dress. She sees Mai's eyes on her mother's necklace, but the soon-to-be-princess doesn't ask about it. Good. "You should learn to undress attractively, my dear student."

Katara realizes how much she wants to see that and wonders why. Then she forces herself to stop wondering why.

"I'll try," Mai says. She moves to contort Katara's motions to suit her. She slowly – very slowly – removes the fabric over her ivory skin. When it falls, she can feel eyes on her and her palms instinctually cover her small breasts.

"Don't cover yourself," Katara says and Mai narrows her eyes. But the student _does_ take her hands away and allow the teacher to examine her.

Katara gazes for a brief moment, and then collects herself. She strides confidently towards the naked girl and slides her hand to rest on Mai's back, pressing and holding their hips against each other. Katara kisses her neck and Mai reacts too strongly; her shoulders nearly knock Katara's teeth out.

"Don't do that if he kisses you there."

"No promises. It tickles."

Mai saying _tickles_ makes Katara laugh a little. But she does her job and does her job well. She seizes control like she certainly knows the prince will and walks Mai to the bed. A slight press of her knee is all she needs to get Mai on her back, which is a relief. That's progress from the awkwardness of yesterday.

She forces herself on top of Mai before changing her mind. "Let's swich," she says and quickly twists them in a way that Mai can't even comprehend.

Mai just finds herself straddling her sex tutor. She feels too exposed.

"This can't… work," however is the thing on Mai's mind. How exactly does she even get that…?

"You're _such_ a virgin," Katara remarks with a sparkle in her eyes. "That's good. He better think that."

"It's true."

"I know it's true," Katara says. She then takes Mai and digs her fingernails into her bare hips. "You should make it a pretty show. I think that's the point when you're… you."

"I'm me?"

"A person who doesn't seem to want control," Katara admits.

Mai has to agree with her on that, even if she doesn't voice it. She reaches up and unknots her loose bun. Her dark hair falls and locks of it graze against her hard nipples. That was very beautiful, Katara must say.

Katara says hoarsely, "Grind against him-me-whatever."

She fakes a cough to cover up her lack of composure.

Mai does what her teacher says. She's not perfect. It's not the sexiest thing ever, and Mai seems to be straining her arms terribly, but Katara _enjoys_ it. That is rare.

While Mai has no clue how this _grinding_ would work on her wedding night, she likes it. The friction against someone very beautiful is more than arousing. Mai should be envisioning her future husband, but when Katara rises and kisses her deeply on the lips, their bare breasts pressed against each other, Mai can't even remember what he looks like.

All that exists are those cobalt eyes and those smooth fingers tracing patterns on her skin.

All that exists is the force that pushes her onto her back and the tongue that swirls around her navel before dipping deeper than that.

Katara is grateful that her student does not have a knack for moaning.

* * *

"Why do you not respect royalty?" Mai asks as she and Katara linger in bed for too long.

It was meant to be a quick lesson, but they have been drawing it out.

Katara stares at her for a second. She is in the mood for honesty.

"I was a princess once," Katara admits. "I'm this now. I didn't turn into a businesswoman or prostitute or information broker or whatever I am that's definitely not a princess. I was a human the whole time, and nothing more."

"How'd you go from princess to whatever you are that's definitely not a princess?"

"My dad was the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He got overthrown by some jerk from the Northern Water Tribe. My brother and I left after that. We could've stayed. It wasn't a slaughter-the-family kind of usurping. But I decided to come here for a new start."

"Any special reason?"

"It was the closest port and I lost my patience for travel." Katara smiles faintly. "So, what's this you were telling me about things being said behind Azulon's back?"

"Come back tomorrow and you might find out."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Thank you guys so much again. This is a more Mai-centric chapter, for a change.**

* * *

The morning after Mai's second lesson with Katara, Ozai interacts with her. That happens to be a rare occurrence. She always wondered if it was because he was decent and did not want to impose on her or if he was indecent and only wanted to be near her if they would be fucking. She does not truly care either way.

"We're going for a walk," he says and she nods.

Is it romantic? No. Does Mai care about romance? No.

The only question she cannot answer is if she could have denied him. She never has said no to a royal, and she is not about to start, but, despite not being curious by nature, Mai has always wondered.

He does not take her far, seeing as any further than the vast courtyards would require palanquins to protect them from the filthy peasants. Mai does not protest the location, although she can hear _bugs_ all around her and the colors of the flowers are unattractive. The ash from the fire fountains stings her eyes.

Mai hates this place.

"This sort of thing doesn't interest you, does it?" her future husband remarks.

She does not think she hid her disdain well enough.

"Not much interests me, to be honest," Mai says.

He does not react and she wonders if she has said something wrong. But he gives her no reason to believe that she did.

"You are very beautiful," he says.

Now Mai knows that she _is_ doing something wrong. That kind of compliment comes from distaste. Their attempt at a date has already managed to fail.

They both know their marriage will be utterly loveless and Mai wonders if he is trying to pretend otherwise.

Royals both confuse her and do not deserve time spent pondering their actions.

And so Mai does the first thing that comes to mind. She kisses him on the lips.

It is forward. She would not have done it if it were not for the two nights she just spent in her lessons. Lessons that tried to teach sexual confidence.

She pulls away and ignores the fear inside of her. Like any strong emotion she feels, she does not let it show.

"I shouldn't have done that, your majesty," Mai flatly says. He is examining her closely and she does not know what to do.

"I see nothing wrong with being kissed by hot women," he says, brushing it off.

Beautiful to hot. He changed his description. Ty Lee would worry about that; Mai does not care. She just wants to have her hooks in him. That's all she wants. It should not be as hard as sometimes it seems like it will be. Mai hates doing difficult things.

"Well," she says, "I am certain it's evident now that kissing hot men is one of the few things that interests me."

"How many have you kissed?"

"Oh, only you, of course, your majesty."

His lips twitch and she feels relief. Being honest about Zuko being the only boy she had ever kissed would be terrible. She is so glad she didn't have to mention _Zuko_ when trying to seduce Ozai.

He takes her arm and they walk deeper into the gardens.

Good. This is delicate and she and Ozai are worlds apart – it is a task that seems less daunting day by day.

* * *

"I don't care about your problems," Ty Lee whines as she observes Mai's thousandth wedding dress fitting. "I'm having a really rocky love life right now!"

"Remind me why I befriended you," Mai says. Ty Lee pouts.

The women working on the dress do not seem to be listening. Azula is conveniently absent from this occasion.

Mai knows – and knew – that there will be an increase of unwanted attention as her wedding day approaches. It is getting uncomfortably close and it shows in her interactions with everyone aroun her. Handmaidens and nobles, friends and foes, all of them.

She cannot wait until it is over.

She was born for this, but it isn't what she cares about.

Mai wants more than a royal wedding.

Much more.

* * *

"I think we might be pushing our luck," Mai says as she isolates herself with Katara in her chambers again. A brothel owner going to the bedroom of the soon-to-be-princess will not look good to anyone who might see it. "I know enough by now. I doubt he even cares."

Katara sits down on Mai's bed and cocks her head to the side.

"Then why did you hire me?" Katara feels a faint and inexplicable smile on her lips.

"Curiosity," Mai says. "I heard so much about you, and I wanted to try something out."

Katara gazes at Mai for a moment and decides that Mai is not going to dismiss her.

"I like curiosity. I'm going to make three wild guesses about you and if I get them right, I get something nice from you."

Mai crosses her arms. She hates these games.

"You remind me of Azula," Mai says and Katara pretends to not be offended. "Give it a try."

"You were raised to be a political pawn – an accessory at best – that's why you struggle with emotion. I bet your mom – or nanny – caught you crying and hit you and told you to save it for your pillow."

"That's not a wild guess. You bought that from someone. What could possibly possess the master of secrets to pay for a few of mine."

"Azula offered them up," Katara says. Although, she was prowling for a few of Mai's. Mai piques Katara's interest for numerous reasons.

Mai does not know what to make of the strange growling under her ribs when she hears about Azula probably fucking Katara. It's weird, primal and Mai manages to purge it from herself.

"Okay. Real guesses this time. You want to marry Ozai because you inherited your parents' limitless ambition. You hide it very well by being disapassionate, but it's in you. And my third: you have never thought sex was more than a method of coercion, until you actually had it two nights ago, and now you don't know what to think. You were proven wrong and that's why you've hired me twice more," Katara says.

They are all right. Mai is _chilled_ by the fact that those are right, but she maintains her cold, emotionless composure.

"All wrong. You suck at wild guesses," Mai says, but the hint of emotion belies her.

Katara feels a strange victory over something as petty as that.

Mai begins to walk towards Katara, while stripping out of her clothes. Katara holds up a hand to stop her.

"We undress each other this time. He'd prefer that. Believe me." _Let's pretend this is about Ozai_ , chides a wise voice in Katara's head.

"Well, you're the expert," Mai says. She walks to her tutor without hesitation.

Katara stands and presses their bodies together. Then they break apart and teat at each other's clothes. Katara is much more successful. Mai is too distracted by the motion of Katara's hands removing layers of her. The smoothness of skin against skin that results in wetness is much easier to think about than silk garments.

Mai is naked; Katara is naked.

They do not look at each other for long. Katara pivots on her heel and kisses Mai fiercely before pushing her down onto the bed. Oh, Katara likes playing husband. It's so fun.

Katara descends on her and her touch shifts to Mai's breasts. She rubs her thumbs over Mai's hardening nipples and she presses down and even kneads, which makes Mai almost kick her. She does like it. She does _moan_ , which happens so rarely despite Katara's coaching and borderline pleading.

Mai is not one to like being controlled, but Katara straddling her makes her forget that. Then the grinding makes her forget her own name.

It is brief perfection.


	4. Chapter 4

Mai and Katara starve look at each other.

Despite the fact that they are both at the same pompous event.

It is even more boring than Mai had imagined, and Mai imagined it would be _very_ boring. Katara is trying to remain focused, but the droning of the speaker is putting her to sleep. The soon-to-be princess sitting across from her is responsible for how tired she feels.

They touched in ways that they should not have. Katara taught Mai too well, perhaps, although the girl still has not figured out how to moan without sounding ridiculous. Katara can only feel the memory of Mai's hands on her skin, her hands pressing down on Mai's breasts and her lips touching and sucking. Mai licking the inside of her thigh before Katara declared it to be unimportant.

Licking out a girl was not part of the lesson plan, and Katara tried to stick to it. She did not want to be using her student, despite the pleasure every time they touched and Mai would grind against her wanting core.

They try not to look at each other for an hour.

But Mai makes eye contact with Katara.

The night suddenly becomes interesting.

* * *

The two girls flee the party and no one misses them. Katara gravitates towards the nearby river and Mai follows with a bowl of cherries in one hand. She stole them from the party and told Katara to keep it a secret. That comment was _somewhat_ amusing.

They sit down on a stone bench that overlooks the water. It reflects the night sky in a way that gives Katara chills. The stars and moon have met the water and they gaze at each other.

Katara makes conversation.

It is more like gossip that she probably should not be sharing.

After a story that nearly makes Mai laugh, the soon-to-be princess asks, "Where do you hear all of this?" Mai inquires as she pops a juicy cherry in her mouth.

She examines her stained fingers, tilting them in the street lanterns to see a purplish shade become bloody. She shakes her head and waits a beat before wiping them clean on Katara's silk dress. It is embroidered with silk snowflakes on top of a rich blue fabric. Katara just scoffs and does not bother to complain; she has plenty of other nice dresses and robes.

"Where do I hear all of this?" Katara parrots back. She extends mock thought just to tease the girl beside her. "Little birds tell me."

"I can't tell if that was a bad metaphor or you're trying to fuck with me," Mai dryly says while sucking the remnants of the cherry juice off of her fingers. Katara cannot help but look at that and feel a faint fire inside of her, a small craving that keeps pestering her.

"A little of both," Katara admits. There is a brief quietness between them that Katara desperately wants to break. Little does she know, Mai feels the same way. It is Katara who ends it by suggesting, "Do you want to go check out that bridge up there? I probably won't push you off."

Mai almost smiles. "I'll humor you."

Katara laughs, stands and takes off towards the huge stone structure looming over the rushing river. Mai follows. The girls reach the top with relative ease and settle to look out at Caldera. There is another silence as they gaze out at the beautiful city.

It looks peaceful and sinless at night.

"So, does this silence tell you anything?" Mai mockingly inquires.

"It tells me that even you aren't immune to beautiful views like these," Katara replies. She smiles at Mai and does not get the same in return. "Unless you don't like it, and I'm wrong."

"I'm impartial," Mai says, promptly nodding after she speaks. It is unsurprising to both of them. "I bet you've never jumped off this bridge."

Katara laughs. "I bet you haven't either."

"Ty Lee and Azula have," Mai protests.

"But have you?" Katara asks, cocking an eyebrow and leaning confidently against the guard rail.

Mai responds by unclasping her dress. She slowly removes the outer layers, leaving Katara unable to look away. Somehow, in the open moonlight, this is much sexier than in Mai's bedroom. Mai does not strip naked; just down to her under-wrappings. Mai looks over the edge and Katara can see her starting to change her mind.

"Do it," Katara goads in a low whisper. "Do it. Do it. Do it."

"Shut up," Mai orders, but she pushes herself up and onto the stone rail, straddling it. She glances out at the deep water below once more. The river makes uninviting sounds beneath her.

Mai thinks that once upon a time she would have decided she liked not dying and climbed back over. She did that with Azula and Ty Lee, deciding just to watch them swim and steal wet kisses. Around the time her betrothal became real, she honestly stopped caring about whether she lives or dies.

And so she jumps.

Katara grins excitedly above.

* * *

Mai still drips as she sits on the gravel path beside the river. Katara sits next to her, making the water dance in front of them. It is a fairly interesting show, but Mai would rather die than admit that openly.

For the first time, Mai wholeheartedly wishes she were a ben der. To have control over _anything_ would be reprieve from her current life. Every day, Mai feels more and more helpless but she does not breathe a word about it.

She was born to marry him.

She wasn't born to bend fire, or even water or earth.

Ozai is good for her, she tries to convince herself. Or at least good for her conniving plans she hides behind apathetic amber eyes. Katara could be a friend, Mai thinks tonight. Mai isn't too keen on the concept of friendship, but she thinks it might have happened right around her jumping off of a bride.

Oh, how symbolic that was.

Mai suddenly yelps from the sting of water slapping her bare neck.

"… and _that's_ the water whip," says Katara through her laughter.

"I don't think I like the water whip," Mai grumbles, rubbing her neck.

"Well," Katara says, gazing at the glistening water, "that's better than you hating me."

"No," Mai tiredly says. "Indifference is worse tan hatred. I'm indifferent towards you."

"You aren't. You like me a lot. Or else you wouldn't have spent tonight with me," Katara says. Mai prickles up and glares.

"I am your princess," Mai orders in her best regal impression. "You will not say such treasonous and overconfident things to me or I will have you burned at the stake."

Katara cocks her head to the side. "Didn't you say something about being Fire Lady one day? I remember that you weren't going to tell me that secret."

"Well, I'd need something in exchange," Mai says, her flicker of anger faded to nothingness. "Do you have any payment in mind."

Katara smirks, and leans forward to kiss Mai fiercely on the lips.

They fuck outside by the Caldera River.

Mai was wrong. Katara refers indifference. Indifference is not messy.

Her _feelings_ for Mai are both messy and dangerous.

Katara tries to have a heart colder than the South Pole, unlike the person she used to be. She once cared about everyone and wanted to help people, but she froze over in this city. But it has not managed to work on Mai. Over the past four days, too much has changed.

Maybe Katara fell in love tonight.

Maybe not.

That uncertainty scares her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Did you fuck your way to your important position or was it exclusively business-sense?" Mai asks softly.

"Both." Katara winks and shoots Mai a cocky smirk.

Mai responds by tossing a pillow at her. Katara narrowly avoids falling off the bed and being caught by the guards. But, hey, Mai does not have the patience for this.

Thankfully, Katara responds to a pillow flying at her face by kissing Mai on the lips and pressing her leg between Mai's thighs.

"Oh! You moaned!" Katara whispers with a look of mock shock.

"Stop pointing that out. It really kills the mood." Mai groans, and Katara laughs quietly. Mai wonders if laughter is normal during sex, but she is _not_ asking.

Katara kisses Mai's neck and pins her back to the mattress. They have already gone twice tonight, but that just is not good enough.

It starts out very tender, with a few more sensitive kisses from Katara. She shifts her position and gradually move s her soft hands over Mai's naked body and then up to knead her breasts. Mai cannot help but moan again, even if she hates Katara being so _smug_ about it.

"Am I a good teacher, or what?" Katara taunts, laughing and kissing Mai on the lips, then lowering them to suck on Mai's right breast. Her pretty hand pays equal attention to the left one.

"I doubt," Mai says among the mind numbing sensation, "that he is going to do that."

Katara removes her touch and Mai wants to pull her back, but Mai wants answers more than the overwhelming pleasure. That is a fairly confusing situation. Katara takes a deep breath and wonders if she and Mai need to say aloud that this is no longer about Ozai.

"Maybe, maybe not. You have to play with yourself to know what you want in bed with him," Katara explains with all of the wits she can muster. She straddles Mai and decides that her rationale is reasonable enough. Cobalt eyes meet amber and that is somehow sexier than the sexual acts themselves.

"But I'm not playing with myself," Mai must correct, even if her hands are sliding up Katara's hips towards her waist. "I'm playing with you."

Katara can do nothing but cheekily smile. Mai sighs and digs her nails into Katara's skin, holding her tightly atop of her. She turns her tutor over, pinning her down this time and does not hesitate to gently bite her tutor's hard nipple.

"Now see," Katara says confidently, "taking initiative is a positive sexual quality. I'm teaching you."

She then cannot speak so easily; Mai kisses her neck and Katara loses her breath.

"I just want to kiss you." Mai feigns some form of innocence that is impossible to believe. Yet, Katara cannot remove herself from the not at all feigned affection.

Mai holds true to her word when she kisses Katara's neck, then plants several burning kisses on her collarbone and shoulder. She proceeds on her descent of fiery lips touching Katara's skin. It is awkward, as Katara has come to expect from Mai, but she does not mind when Mai kisses the inside of her thigh. Katara instinctively gently bucks her hips. She closes her eyes and tries to forget how fucked up this is.

Katara moans when Mai kisses her. Kisses her and then, well her tongue, and Katara's mind is addled while she thinks she might have accidentally taught Mai this sexual act that definitely will not come into play during her marriage.

She just tries to keep silently as she approaches a climax. Katara manages; threat of death overpowers the need to scream.

As soon as Katara rides it out, Mai sits up. She looks deplorably smug.

Mai tries not to smirk at the iceberg she reduced to a puddle.

* * *

Katara returns to her office once the sun rises in the sky. She cleaned herself up and now looks presentable, as if her night with Mai never happened. Mai never paid; Mai did not need to pay. Katara walks through her well-decorated and exotic brothel with girls perpetually undressed and men perpetually frustrating.

Her girls give quick bows of respect as Katara passes them. It once felt magnificent, but now feels ordinary. When she reaches the upper floor, she sees that someone is inside waiting for her.

It hits her like a slap in the face.

She forgot about her appointment with Fire Lord Azulon.

Oh no. This is bad.

But somehow, it gets worse once she enters her incense imbibed office.

Katara somehow manages to keep her cool when Ozai sits there awaiting her instead of Azulon. Her first thought is that he knows about _Mai_ and…

"I would like to purchase something from you."

"I am not for sale."

"No, not your body…" He narrows his eyes at her. "Water Tribe is not my type."

 _I didn't know you had a type other than breathing,_ Katara wants to say, but she is smart enough to hold her tongue to keep from losing it.

"What is it you need?" Katara asks, sitting down and gesturing for him to do the same.

"You are an information broker. You know everything, somehow; it's impressive. You would do so well as a spy instead of a peddler of prostitutes."

"Well, I very well could be a spy and this could be my cover as I infiltrate the Fire Nation," Katara says. Sokka would be proud of her sarcasm. "You name your product; I name my price."

"I will name the price, peasant. I will give you the opposite of your currency: silence."

Katara squints at him. "I don't get it."

"Silence about one of your secrets."

Mai. Mai. Mai. Mai. Mai. Mai.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"And what would that be, your majesty?" Katara inquires, her voice and posture imbibed with faux innocence.

"The reason you work in the shadows, the reason you keep on running and running and running but get nowhere." Ozai examines her for a moment. "What I want to purchase, is the use of that secret for my own ends."

"I have no secrets of my own. Only the secrets of others. I am afraid I can't help you, your majesty." Katara hurriedly stands.

"Would you do it for her?"

"I know a lot of _hers_ , in every sense of that word. Are you referring to your daughter? I know I'm not for sale but she offered me something worth letting her f—"

He grabs her wrist and pulls her back with a force she thinks has the potential to break bones. Before she can violently break away, he whispers into her ear.

"I know what you are and I am not afraid to expose you." He releases her and she glares at him while rubbing her purse; prince or not, no one lays hands on Katara.

Katara wonders if she can pretend she does not know what he is talking about. Perhaps he has sketchy information and she can turn him against his informant while diverting attention from herself. But Katara gazes into his eyes and sees that he knows and she needs to find a better way out of this.

Lying. Lots of lying.

"What do you want me to do?" Katara makes herself appear as demure as someone as proud as her can.

"We will talk at my wedding."

"Why?"

"Because I said so," he growls. "I'm purchasing permanent allegiance, not a certain job from me."

Katara does not sell her loyalties. But she needs to know who told him. She _needs_ to find out who else knows her secret, because Ozai could not have found out on his own.

"I will see you then, your majesty." She manages to hide her loathing until he leaves.


	6. Chapter 6

"Aren't all Fire Nation _elites_ crooks? There's a strict unspoken caste system in this country. Rising above it takes a lot of bad, bad acts." Sokka finishes chewing before looking back up at her. Katara does not have much of a reaction to his words. "You did that, and I guess you're the most moral person I've ever met. But still…"

Katara shrugs.

"I didn't sell my soul to anyone, but I can't say my hands are clean." She finishes bending the water for the dishes and sits down across from him. "I rose above it because I feel sometimes like I have a destiny, and that I don't really know what it is, but I have one."

"Destiny is not real," Sokka bluntly says, as he _always_ does. She just rolls her eyes, as she _always_ does.

"I'm going to the Royal Pre-Wedding Party tonight, whether you like it or not," Katara says, clasping her hands on her lap. Sokka does not challenge her, of course.

"Why is there a pre-wedding party?" he asks. "That seems unnecessary. Haven't they had three or four parties already?"

"They've had eight," Katara replies in a matter-of-fact manner.

"And you're somebody's date?" Sokka squints at her.

"I don't know why that's remotely any of your business, but yes, I am. But I would've found a way to go anyway. Drunk party-goers love gossip." Katara is hoping for a certain kind of gossip, but she doubts she will get it.

"Gossip isn't the most solid thing to go on. You need facts for your career." Sokka waves his finger around like he is her father or something. Katara hates when he does that.

"Every rumor has a kernel of truth," Katara says.

She hopes to figure out how Prince Ozai found out about her deepest, darkest secret. Katara has never told a soul – not Sokka, not dad, not mom – and she never has slipped up. Someone had to have known in order to tell Ozai, but who? Who could have that information? Katara knows every secret except for the most important one.

Katara will find out if it is the last thing she does.

* * *

Katara cannot stop fidgeting on the way to the party. It was grandiose but nothing she had not seen before. She knew the world, or something like that. Pillow talk does not count as travel, but she has heard every legend and adventure story that anyone ever thought up. Of that she is sure.

She walks inside and her eyes are drawn instantly to Fire Lady Ilah. The woman was so old, but the most glamorous person Katara had ever seen. She did not wear much for jewelry, but she shone like she was made of gold and diamonds.

The second beacon Katara cannot resist is a girl who fades into the shadows. They hungrily engulf her, but Katara can see the way her pale skin shimmers in the right light from afar. Maybe she would notice it if she had not touched every inch of that skin.

But the odd, pleasant feeling that Katara was swept up in vanishes when she remembers her conversation with Prince Ozai. She begins to shake again and has to breathe carefully to calm her nerves. She _needed_ to know what he knew.

What could require her _loyalty_? Her _allegiance_ and not her _secrets_?

Katara knows that it seems paranoid, but she never stops worrying that someone will expose her.

* * *

Katara sits with her date and keeps him interested enough to keep him talking. It is as easy as making waves in a pond. His friends are drunk enough to gossip. Men were worse than women, or so Katara has seen so far in her life.

She does spend far more time in the company of men.

Her date decides to make a melodramatic toast the moment they are served their drinks.

"To us, to people like us, to everyone here. People like us must do the terrible things that keep the world spinning. We are leaders because we aren't afraid to get our hands dirty, and we are powerful because we know that power requires responsibility. And none of that is pretty," he says, glancing at those sitting with him. His eyes find Katara. "It takes a strong stomach to sell secrets, and one of iron to keep a bank going. We must twist the rules in a… lethal way."

"Of course," Katara lies. Sokka is fairly right about all of these people being crooks. She will give him that, she supposes.

"A toast to people like us." He raises his glass and Katara's allegedly strong stomach does a backflip.

She raises hers as well. She is not a fan of his toast, but she must play along with him.

He _is_ her best lead, after all.

He _is_ the man she has seen speak to Prince Ozai at every single occasion she has attended.

Katara chooses her dates carefully.

* * *

"May I?" asks a female voice.

Katara has been dancing with her date, whom at this point smells like a distillery. She smiles as she sees the girl holding out a hand. Her date says something, but Katara does not listen; she forgets her mission for a moment and walks into the arms of soon-to-be Princess Mai.

"How could you tell I needed to escape?" Katara asks, shaking her head as she and Mai rearrange positions repeatedly. This dancing thing was complicated with two quite domineering girls. Mai bends her will first and they begin to be able to move together.

They sway. They don't spin, don't press against each other too hard, don't do anything fancy. They just sway and sway. They spin once but Mai does not like it.

Katara assumes she is not fond of dancing.

"You told me that I didn't know half of what people say behind Azulon's back."

"I don't remember that, but sure."

"You said something about you being Fire Lady."

Mai's shoe scuffs against a Fire Nation insignia on the stone ballroom floor. She collects herself and returns to swaying, but it is too late.

"I meant it in the way that you never know. And nobody wants to be a princess. They want to be a queen."

"Even you."

"Especially me."

"So, you just know the right words to say to keep me coming."

Katara laughs with her eyes squeezed shut when she realizes what she said. Mai laughs and Katara is thrown off by that unusual sound.

"Very nice phrasing," Mai whispers into Katara's ear. "Something like that, to answer your question."

"I hate that answer. It's one of my least favorite answers in the world," Katara says and they sway silently for a few heartbeats.

"What's your least favorite?" Mai asks.

"My least favorite answer? It's _no_. I'm sure most people could say the same," Katara says and Mai stops swaying.

"I wouldn't have expected that from you. You seem so … above it all. I can't see you as being selfish."

"I _am_ selfish sometimes. Everybody is." Katara's eyes drift around the ballroom. The girl she is swaying with is evidence of her spurts of selfishness.

Katara should have finished her lessons with Mai and done nothing more than her usual service. She had done this for so many noble girls in her life. Why was the most dangerous one the different one? Fate kind of hates Katara, she decides, but Katara does not hate fate in return.

She thinks that misfortune can be turned into an advantage.

She thinks that, eventually, everything will align.

Sokka disagrees with those sentiments.

Most people do.

* * *

 **Sorry for such a late update! I've been busy, but I'm going to be updating more again now that it's summer.**


	7. Chapter 7

Katara is home alone, which means she can stop hiding her deepest secret for a little while.

She plays with fire on her fingertips. It always has been the most resistant element to her, but she likes living a little dangerously. Katara _is_ daring enough to sleep with Prince Ozai's fiancée after all. Stone is easy to melt and rebuild. Air, well, she lied and said she was an airbender to one of the ambassadors and he taught her a few swift moves before he could find out her name.

Someone needs to formally train her, but that cannot happen. Katara runs a brothel and sells secrets for a living. Let the world think the Avatar has vanished; they do not need her anyway. Everything is balanced, and Katara kind of likes tipping scales from time to time.

She snuffs out her flames when she starts to think too much about Ozai again. How he knows what she is… she has no clue. Katara has never told a soul, because she is remarkably good at withholding information. How could he know? How could she vow allegiance to a man who cannot want her gift for anything savory?

Katara returns to her dishes, but gets mere moments with them because someone knocks on the door. She rushes to open it, uncertain who would be calling upon her at this hour.

" _Mai_?" Katara asks, stunned. She has no idea why the future princess would be in this area of town, or _any_ area outside of the palace, especially the night before her wedding.

"I needed to get away. Everyone keeps talking about tomorrow," Mai says, pushing Katara aside and closing the door behind her. Their eyes meet and then part. "I can't do it. I can't get married tomorrow."

"You have cold feet," Katara says. Mai cocks an eyebrow. "Cold feet. Jitters? It's normal to get nervous before your wedding and want to back out."

"I've had my entire life to prepare for this, but I just…" Mai locates the nearest chair and sits down. "Did you know that my parents trained me in hobbies that he enjoyed? I had no idea until I was old enough for them to shamelessly inform me."

"That sounds a lot like them, from what you've told me," Katara says, accepting the fact that her dishes will not be washed tonight. "You're going to get in trouble."

"I'm going to get _you_ in trouble. You should be more worried about yourself; I can take care of myself," Mai says, wringing her hands. She had a knife or ten when she left home, but she does not know what happened to them. "Hide me. Send me to the South Pole."

"Yeah, the South Pole isn't a nice place anymore. Not that it was extremely nice when I lived there, but it was home then," Katara says. "You would hate it."

"Just take me somewhere," Mai orders, but Katara cannot comply.

"You have to marry him," says Katara.

"I _know_ that! Everyone has told me that for my whole life!" Mai settles herself down and regains her cold composure. "I thought you might have a different opinion."

Katara kneels with her hands on Mai's knees. She feels vaguely maternal in this position, or at least more devoted to Mai than she should be.

"I wish I did. I've known a lot of girls in arranged marriages. Yours is a little more important than most of theirs," Katara says, patting Mai's leg.

"Royalty isn't special. I was raised around them, in their palace, and they're not gods."

"Did I say I thought they were? This is an important wedding, and we both know that," Katara says tenderly, sitting down on the floor. Mai rubs her face and breathes deeply. "I'm sure it hurts."

"It doesn't. It…" Mai is at a loss for words. "It makes me angry."

She does not think she has ever assigned a feeling to herself. Right now, though, she does not know who she is anymore. Mai has only ever been what other people have told her to be. That does not seem to cut it anymore. Tonight, she has entered an identity crisis at the worst possible time.

"I can understand why," Katara says, standing up. She does not know what to do with herself right now. "I've spent my whole life running, and it really sucks. Which means I'm a hypocrite when I tell you that you should face this."

Mai feels lost until she thinks of something perfect.

"What if I tell you the biggest secret you have ever heard? Will you help me run away if I do that?" Mai suggests, and Katara instinctually wants to tell her that no secret could stop a wedding.

Then again, Mai has been very close to Ozai and whoever his informant was. Maybe she can help Katara solve her dangerous mystery.

"Does it have to do with Prince Ozai?" Katara asks. Mai nods. "I can help you if it's the one I'm looking for."

Mai tries to slow her spinning head down. She cannot just give her only leverage away, but, at the moment, she is beyond desperate.

"He's going to start a war," Mai says, and Katara can hardly contain her shock. "This summer."

"That's soon," Katara says. She starts to think about it and wonders if that could be what Prince Ozai needs the Avatar for.

"It's when the Great Comet comes," Mai explains, which means nothing to Katara, but she assumes it is a significant event.

"I don't know what that is, but I do know that comets are terrible omens," Katara says. Mai nods.

"They say an emperor falls every time one comes. Fire Lord Sozin did. I don't know much before that," Mai says. Katara holds up a finger. "It gives firebenders power."

"Okay, that answers my question." Katara closes her fist. "That's part of what I was looking for."

"This secret is not for resale. Do you understand me?" Mai says gravely. Katara nods; she is not planning on telling a soul. "Unless you can get me across the ocean before morning."

"I need to find a few things out, but I owe you a huge favor. You can call on it whenever you want, but not yet," Katara explains. Mai does not look like she cares, but Katara knows that she does. "It'll be okay."

Mai stands and kisses Katara.

Katara's heart races. She pulls Mai into a tight embrace and keeps their lips locked until she is suffocating.

"Lets go upstairs. My brother might come home," Katara says and Mai nods.

Katara guides her up to her bedroom. It does not look like it should belong to Katara. Too barren, lacking warmth or personality. She has a painting of a waterbender, but, beyond that, it could be a mundane guest room at an inn.

It probably will not be their last time, but they pretend that it is.

They undress and kiss and undress some more and kiss some more.

Katara sits down on her bed, pulls Mai down and kisses her like kissing was everything. She caresses her hips and down to her thighs. Katara had not noticed the muscle tone in the dim, candlelit palace.

"This isn't practice," Mai says, lying down. "I want to make that clear. I can't think of this as that. It makes me sick."

"You're not very good at talking dirty, are you?" Katara smiles.

Mai sets Katara's hands on a trail to her cunt. Katara strokes the fur between her legs and Mai noticed how oddly strong and capable her fingers are. Everything Katara does is deliberate, but not precise. Not Azula or Ozai or any of them. No; Katara knows what she wants and she cares about getting it. Mai would rather have this whore than any royal.

Katara's touch seems perfectly designed to send tremors through Mai's body.

They lie on their sides, facing each other, but not looking at each other's faces. Mai mirrors those movements and they linger over each other and thrust simultaneously and their moans sound like sighs.

Mai closes her eyes.

This is what she wants. She just wishes she could be passionate enough to get it.

* * *

Katara walks Mai home before the sun rises. It seems like the city is empty save for the two of them. They arrive at the palace and stand still for a long time.

Mai kisses Katara on the lips, risking being seen.

Her lips are poison; her lips are wine.

* * *

In the morning, Mai wonders if last night was a dream.

In the morning, Katara schemes. She has to find out about Ozai's conniving, and the wedding seems like the perfect place to do it.

It will be a long day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi! Thank you for waiting so long for this update. I just wanted to give a warning that there's a pretty fucked up wedding night in this chapter. It's only written out with some detail because I wanted to show Katara's lessons in practice and tie together the beginning of the story in that way. It's pretty dark, but brief, and can be skipped, it starts with "Mai does not think she paid decent attention to Katara's lessons" and ends at the linebreak.  
(PS: I don't mean any disrespect to the Maizai ship or anything but Ozai is the villain of this story and he isn't going to treat her-or anyone else-kindly)  
**

* * *

Katara is dressed beautifully. Her outfits have always been exquisite—that is a requirement in the Fire Nation—but being a guest at a Royal Wedding calls for true glamour. As much as Katara wants to pretend that she does not care, she truly enjoys moments where her nails are perfect and her hair switches from beaded loops and a braid to something more extravagant and she wears fabric that shimmers like flames or waves or gusts of wind.

She sits in a very honored position, dateless but important, and waits for Mai to walk down that extremely long aisle. Eyes flicker her way occasionally and she feels eerily raw. Last night, she learned about why Ozai would be so interested in having the Avatar. Today, she cannot keep her mind off it.

When Mai does walk past, Katara does not watch her. She averts her eyes, unlike everyone else. Dragging the girl home yesterday makes this hurt. Katara wishes, for a moment, that she took Mai up on her offer. They could have absconded.

But Katara succumbed to her addiction: secrets.

She pretends to watch the ceremony, but instead watches the crowd. Someone here is the one who found her out; she feels it in her bones.

* * *

Katara comes up short at the reception. She cannot exactly shoehorn it into conversation, and none of her subtle questions work. It is so much more complicated than usual secrets.

"You have a lovely brooch," Katara says, gesturing at the symbol pinned to a nobleman's robes. "All four elements."

"I collect historical artifacts. My specialty is the Avatar," says the woman. Katara does not recognize her from anywhere, and she knows most everyone in the upper crust.

"The Avatar? It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Katara asks, wiping her sweaty palms on her silk clothes.

"Yes. I wonder why any of them would hide. What is there to avoid anyway?" asks the woman.

Katara almost explains what the world is like outside of this sole rich country. The chaos. The three wars currently being waged that anyone in the Fire Nation _would_ know about if they cared. It is not pretty to see so much blood on the ice or heads bashed in by stones.

"Nothing, I suppose." Katara shrugs. "Beautiful jewel, anyway. I would love to see your collection sometime."

The woman smiles. Katara wonders if she is the one. She _could_ be the one, but how?

"You're welcome. Why not tomorrow? I don't have any appointments," the woman says.

"Neither do I," Katara lies, planning to cancel hers. "What's your name again? I'm Katara."

"Lien," says the woman. She pats Katara's arm. "I know you and I will have a servant or hawk sent to your business informing you of my availability and address. Now, I must go catch up with my wife."

Katara stares as Lien walks away.

She thinks she catches a wink.

Maybe she found her culprit, but she does not have time to think about it, because, when she turns around, the man who requested her services as the Avatar is waiting.

* * *

"Mai is really likable once you get past the surface," Katara says, trying to prolong conversation unrelated to the deal she made. She wishes she could unmake it after hearing from his now-wife last night. "I've befriended her, to tell the truth."

They dance; it is the best way to hide their conversation. Katara knows that trick by heart; Prince Ozai seems to as well.

"I don't care about that. I care about the fact that my operation is a time sensitive matter," Ozai says, clearly irritated. Katara takes a slow breath, frustrated by this entire situation and aggravated by how casually he treats this scheme.

Katara does something stupid. She reveals a secret. It has little gain, and it is foolish.

"You want to use me to start a war, don't you?" Katara whispers.

His eyes narrow and she sees what she has said. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I've had time to think about why you would want me. It's the only conclusion I can come to." Katara stops spinning. He stops with her. "The only problem is that I've never really been trained in any of the elements but one and I'm more of a lover than a fighter. If that's what you want, I don't know if I can help you. If I'm wrong and you want me to fight in the Earth Kingdom for you or want me as a political prop, then correct me."

"Your assumption is correct. I would have you trained; don't fret about it."

Katara purses her lips. She decides to nod and finish the dance.

Her best bet is to pursue her latest lead tomorrow before they try to enlist her as a weapon and start yet another conflict in this world.

* * *

Mai does not think she paid decent attention to Katara's lessons. She was more focused on how much she was attracted to the secret-keeper. Now she stands in a bedroom among candles and wishes they were not so bright.

She thinks she might be undressing too slowly but she is nervous, and Mai does not get nervous very easily. Mostly, she does not like being watched; she hates that even when she is not taking her clothes off.

Halfway through he takes her by the wrist and finishes it for her. Mai thinks it is for the best and very much welcomes his grip on both of her arms. He presses his lips to hers and she manages to remember what she paid Katara for.

Her instructor _was_ extremely frustrated with her, the memory of which makes Mai laugh.

"Is something extremely funny?" snaps her back to reality.

"I just was needlessly scared about this," Mai replies, not breaking eye contact and without a single waver in her voice.

He accepts the answer, but the truth is that Mai should have been far more frightened.

She falls limp when he pins her to the bed by one wrist. His other hand traces from her waist to her breast. The touch is rougher than Katara's tests. He kisses her neck and her shoulder reflexively reacts. It makes her shiver, but it feels different than it did with her instructor.

He drags her upwards by the small of her back, untying her hair and letting it fall. It grazes against her breasts and she feels more exposed than covered by it. He takes this moment to remove his clothes and she does not remember how to help with that, even though she thinks she was taught how to do it. When he pulls her closer, she begins to grind against him before noticing how very different this was with Katara in other ways.

Mai pulls back after feeling his arousal against the inside of her thigh. He takes hold of her and brings her back again, tugging at her arm violently.

"Do that again," he orders and it is definitely an order even though she is not certain of how to fulfill it. He draws her closer as she rolls her hips and her bare breasts press against his chest. Also very different from how practicing this felt.

After a few endless moments, he takes her by the hips and pushes her down again. The way he tears at her-she would call him exploring her body a violent invasion and conquest of her body-and his teeth dig into her makes letting him lead become unwelcome. There is not much she can do about it.

She thinks there is reprieve when he parts her legs and she stares upwards and he begins to stretch her and she winces and he stops and she thinks that is a good sign.

"You're fine. I'll be gentle with you," he says.

He does move forward and when she does wince from it she feels him begin to pull himself out and she is very confused by that until he pushes back in and she knows for certain that he was lying when he said he would be gentle.

* * *

Mai hates Katara by morning. She told the girl something far worth smuggling her across the ocean, but she didn't do it. She also was a _terrible_ teacher and left Mai woefully unprepared for the fact that she could not feign ecstasy if she tried.

She lies in bed and contemplates killing her, but then decides it would be messy and too much effort.

* * *

Katara goes to the home of Lien in the afternoon. She finds herself wondering about Mai quite frequently, hoping that her wedding night went well. It depends with the girls Katara works with. Then again, Katara very rarely keeps contact. She is compassionate towards any of them who want to cling to her help; she wants to heal people.

She wants to heal people. That thought makes her stop in the middle of the street. When she was at the South Pole, she was training to be a healer. Then everything happened and she turned into a crooked courtesan here in the Fire Nation.

When someone bumps into Katara, she speeds up on her walk and reaches Lien's front porch. Her manor is nice, in the closest ring of homes around the Royal Palace. Katara stares at the huge structure that houses royals for longer than she usually would.

Mai is in there. She wishes she could see Mai.

Katara shakes her head and picks up the door knocker.

* * *

Mai stares out of the window. She wonders what it would have been like if she grew up with her parents. They are dreadful people, but everything would be different. If she was not in this horrible arranged marriage.

But if the moon burned it would be the sun.

* * *

"Katara," says Lien, putting her ringed finger to her chin. She flashes that knowing smile again, "so good to see you. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I don't want to trouble you," says Katara as she glances around. "I feel weird having come here in the first place. I'm intruding on your collection."

 _I'm the Avatar, I think you know it, and this is a very bad situation I got myself into,_ Katara thinks.

"It's no trouble. I love having guests and I always have a pot of tea on." Lien gestures for Katara to follow her.

Katara does so. After Lien barks an order for a servant to bring them tea, she leads Katara into a series of rooms filled with artifacts on display. They are beautiful. Katara stares in awe at the art from ancient cultures.

"It's beautiful," Katara says, smiling at Lien.

"You haven't seen my Avatar room yet," Lien replies, giving the same wave of her hand.

Katara hesitates now, frozen in place. She does not know if this is a terrible idea. The tension makes her head hurt, but she follows Lien, deciding that is less risky than bolting for the door.

When Katara walks into the room, she is drawn to every single piece.

"That's Avatar Kyoshi," Katara says, pointing at a painting. It is beautiful.

"You didn't tell me you were such a rare scholar," says Lien. "The schools here don't study her anymore, I'm afraid."

"I. . .I must have remembered it from somewhere," Katara says, uncertain how she knew it.

"They recovered it from Kyoshi Island. Shame about that place," Lien says.

"What happened to. . .?"

"The Water Tribe uprising happened. I'm sure you're familiar with it, no offense or disrespect intended. They claimed the island and sold quite a bit of its curios. I snatched the Avatar Kyoshi relics up as fast as I could," says Lien.

Katara squeezes her eyes shut.

She hears a thousand voices in her head, all saying things she cannot understand.

The tea arrives and Katara makes an excuse to leave the Avatar room. She does not stop, however, before pocketing a scroll. Katara is not usually a thief, but it has the Southern Water Tribe symbol on it and has _something_ to do with the Avatar.

With her.

* * *

Katara stops at the palace after leaving Lien's, grateful not to be poisoned.

Yet, at least.

"Oh," Katara says when the main housekeeper speaks to her, "I just wanted to stop by. I do upon occasion like to see what's happening in Caldera from the best view."

"Of course," says the housekeeper, smiling at Katara.

She is given free rein; Fire Lord has no reason not to trust her. He has good reason not to trust his son. . .who Katara might end up helping if she does not find a way out of this situation.

Katara checks in with her usual sources from the Royal Court before sneaking away to go find Mai. It is reckless, stupid, and might get her killed, but she feels compelled by an inexplicable source inside of her.

She knocks on Mai's door, wondering if she will get an answer.

She does.

It is Mai.

Katara makes an involuntary sound of stunned revulsion.

Mai rolls her eyes at it.

"Don't act that way," Mai says.

"Act what way?" whispers Katara, even though she knows it is too late to feign ignorance.

"Like any of this is either a big deal or surprising," says Mai. She lets Katara walk inside and then shuts the door again.

Katara stands close to her, feeling her breath. She reaches forward and gently touches the ruddy bruises on Mai's neck. Mai snatches her by the wrist and pushes her away.

"I. . ." Katara wishes she had something to say. "It's-it's not something I've never _seen_ before but I never have had a real intimate relationship with one of my clients."

"One who sold you a secret in exchange for a ship out of this prison, and got screwed over." Mai sits down on her bed, scowling.

"You don't want to leave Caldera," Katara says. "The world isn't a nice place like this city. I mean this city is ruthless in a figurative sense but—"

Mai points at her neck. "I had no idea this was figurative. Thank you for clearing that up."

"You don't have to be so sarcastic," grumbles Katara, cautiously walking towards Mai while she feels her heart both melt and shatter.

"I do. When you say stupid things to me, expect me to respond with sarcasm," Mai says icily. Katara stands in front of her and bows her head.

"I'm sorry." Katara stares at Mai. She kisses her and gets gently pushed away again.

"Not what I want right now, or _ever_ , especially from you," Mai says, striking Katara with the word _you_. "I'd like it if you would leave right now before I call for guards."

The worst part is that Katara knows Mai means those words.

She leaves, and touches her chest.

Katara did not know her heart could hurt like this, not since she was young and had her loved ones and life stolen.


	9. Chapter 9

"Why do you want to visit Mai?" demanded Prince Ozai when Katara arrived at the palace with bottles of healing salves and a jar of water. She used them all on a regular basis.

"I talked to her and she was worried about maybe making mistakes on her wedding night and she would like to continue her lessons in giving pleasure," said Katara calmly. She never lied before she moved to the Fire Nation and now she was a good one.

"I will not object. I do need you on my side, my dear Avatar," Ozai whispered, touching her waist and walking away.

Katara hastily headed to Mai's room and knocked on the door. She did not answer, so Katara invites herself in.

"I came here to patch you up," Katara said. "I was a healer before I was a secret-dealer."

Mai looked up at her, pore loathing in her beautiful amber eyes. The marks on her skin proved that she could use healing hands. He clearly was not gentle or kind, which did not surprise Katara despite revolting her.

"How kind," said Mai sarcastically.

"Look, I prepared you. I did more than that. I…" Katara shook her head.

"Was I ever more than a client?"

"Of course," Katara insisted vehemently. "I wouldn't be here if you were just that."

Mai stared her down for a long time. Katara patiently waited for Mai's posture to soften, and the new princess said, "Start with my neck. It hurts to breathe."

Katara nodded and sat down on the bed. It made her queasy to be on it. The sudden surge of rage inside of her was an alien feeling that she did not like. Being attached to someone was foolish, especially Princess Mai. But how could she help it? How could she control who she loved?

She opened the jar of water and healed the bruises there. Katara grinded her teeth as she did her work. Hatred was new to her and she felt it strongly.

"I'm sorry that I didn't take you away from here when I was able to do it. It was selfish of me, and I never like to be selfish."

"All people are selfish. I've never met somebody selfless in my life."

"I pretend to be selfless, but I'm not. If I was…" Katara trailed off. If she was, she would be open about being the Avatar and go about saving the world. Instead, she hid. "If I was a lot of things in my life would be different."

"You're surprisingly empathetic," Mai said. "More than most people are. I don't even feel my own feelings, much less those of other people."

Katara sat up. "You didn't show pain or fear, did you?"

"Do you think I did?"

That made Katara smile.

" _Good_ ," she said happily. "He's pretty much the worst person in the world and doesn't deserve a reaction out of you."

When Katara opened the salve, Mai finally spoke again. "Do you patch girls up often?"

"No. If somebody came close to doing this to one of my girls, I'd beat the living daylights out of them. That's not really an option with Ozai."

"It isn't?"

"I might steal and keep many secrets, but he stole and kept my only one. He owns me at this point, until I figure out what to do."

Mai leaned in close. Katara felt her hot breath. "What secret is worth this?"

"The biggest one there is," whispered Katara. "Just keep calm and no one will get hurt."

Mai slapped the glass of water out of Katara's hand. It shattered on the ground and created a puddle on the obsidian floor.

"No one will get hurt? What do you call this?" Mai stood up. Katara saw the wounds she was frantically trying to heal. "Do I look hurt to you?"

Katara thought about her answer for a few moments before she decided nothing she could say would be good enough. So, she stood as well, and crushed her lips against Mai's. She gently set her hand on the small of the princess's back and softly pressed their bodies close together.

Their lips collided over and over again, but they did nothing more than that. Katara knew it was not what Mai wanted, and so, after the heat rose to a boiling point, she stepped back and allowed it to subside.

"Run away with me," demanded Mai in a hushed tone. "Do it now. Do it tonight."

"I can't yet, but I will. Trust me when I say I will," Katara insisted, rushing forward and clasping Mai's hands in hers. The princess shook her away and turned her back to the woman for whom she had such strange and powerful feelings. "I _will_."

"You may leave now," Mai ordered, cold, royal, something Katara knew she could not fight against. She stood but did not bow before she left the room.

Katara clenched her fists and her anger only grew as she walked back to her brothel.

* * *

Katara smiled as she checked in with her girls. Xi finished bottling the distilled alcohol and turned to Katara with a huge smile.

"I'm in love," she said, squeezing Katara's hand. "I'm so in love and I think he loves me back."

"Is he a client?" Katara asked, her heart sinking. She knew this never ended well.

"Yes, but he doesn't treat me like a whore. He was so young and inexperienced when we started but he made me feel better than a guy who'd fucked half the Fire Nation," Xi said with that messy, adolescent grin.

"I wish you both luck," Katara said, feeling pity. Then, she realized she was no different from this young, dumb little girl. She felt that way about Princess Mai. _She_ was the fool.

A girl Katara adored walked downstairs, tying the silk sash around her robe.

"You were with the prince, weren't you? I always liked him." She smiled. Her teeth were slightly crooked but it did not detract from her Earth Kingdom beauty. "Last time, I couldn't walk straight for days. Oh, oh, oh."

Katara shoved her into a wall on an impulse and glass loudly shattered, silencing the entire lobby. The girls in the bar froze simultaneously. Katara had _never_ done anything remotely violent in front of them—or _not_ in front of them for that matter. She did not think pushing someone into a rack of fine porcelain dishes had crossed her mind before.

"Watch your mouth," Katara snarled, then took inventory of her sore body. "I apologize. I shouldn't have come at you like that. I've had a stressful day."

"It's okay," said the young, pretty, sweet thing Katara cared about so much. She had blood on her skin and Katara felt bile rise in her throat.

"I should go to my room," Katara said, hastily running up the stairs and locking herself inside.

* * *

No one disturbed Katara for hours, until a man entered without knocking.

"Hello," said Katara. She did not need to look up to know it was Prince Ozai.

"Such a respectful greeting," he sarcastically growled. She stood up and bowed to him, then rose with a straight back and a determined gleam in her cobalt eyes.

"Is that better, your eminence?" inquired Katara with an innocent bat of her dark, thick eyelashes. He deeply inhaled.

"Isn't it… interesting, that the Avatar is nothing more than a common whore? I imagined something far more spectacular for the most important person in the world," said Ozai, running his finger along the counter. Katara watched it, oddly rapt.

"A madam, actually," she corrected, locking eyes with him whether it would kill her or not, "and a secret-broker. I am not a common whore."

"We leave at dawn," said Ozai and Katara's eyes widened.

Katara asked, stunned, "Leave to where?"

"To my own fortress. I told you that you would help me start a war, did I not?"

"And Mai?"

"You care an awful lot about your clients. I'm bringing her with me. They'd only torture and kill her once they found out what I was doing and I can't—"

"Bear for anyone else to do that to her?"

"I have never harmed her, especially not the way my father would. Stay out of my personal business and we can be very successful together."

Katara thought quickly and pleaded of the prince, "I want my brother too. He's a warrior. He can fight at your side."

Ozai took a deep breath, sighed, and took his sweet time contemplating the request.

"Fine, but he is your responsibility and I will not hesitate to gut him alive if he tries to turn against me," said the prince.

"I'll see you at dawn," Katara said quietly.

Ozai smirked at her before he left.

Once he shut the door, Katara tore her shoe from her foot and threw it at the wall as hard as she could.

Even the loud _thud_ could not satisfy her rage.


End file.
